Communion creates debate // Clintons' participation in rite raises eyebrows

President Clinton - a Southern Baptist - received communionSunday from a Roman Catholic priest in Africa who later said he wasfollowing a recent South African bishops' statement on ecumenism.

Both Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Methodist,received consecrated hosts from the Rev. Mohlomi Makobane at ReginaMundi Church in Soweto.

While the church prohibits non-Catholics from taking part in thesacrament of communion, priests and bishops have some discretion indeciding when exceptions to the rules are appropriate. The code ofchurch law permits sharing consecrated bread and wine in times of"grave necessity," such as when non-Catholics cannot find a ministerof their own faith and share Catholics' beliefs about the eucharist,experts said.Catholics and some Protestants believe in the "real presence" ofJesus' blood and flesh in the consecrated wine and bread. MostProtestants believe the presence is symbolic."On face value, there is a possibility that this was a pastoraldecision, something discussed between the (South African) bishop, thepriest and the president," said Brother Jeffery Gros, an ecumenicalexpert for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Only thoseparties will know."A Clinton spokesman said it was their understanding that the"bishops of South Africa made a ruling that communion is open to allbaptized Christians, and all baptized Christians were invited to takepart in communion."The Rev. Dan Whiteside, president of the Chicago Association ofPriests, said it is common not to "publicly embarrass" anyone whocomes forward for communion, although later counseling on churchregulations may be needed.Another expert, who asked to remain unnamed, said that whileClinton - who graduated from Catholic Georgetown University inWashington, D.C. - most likely knew that non-Catholics aren't allowedto take communion, "he probably was caught up in the enthusiasm ofthe moment and thought it was OK."There was no statement Tuesday from the Holy See.Several parishioners outside Holy Name Cathedral thought Clintonhad overstepped ecclesiastical boundaries."I would say he shouldn't have (taken communion), especially ifit's just to show off over there. He isn't Catholic," said LorraineStone of Chicago.A second parishioner, hurrying to 5 p.m. mass, asked to remainnameless before saying, "maybe he thought he was doing somethinggood. . . . but I think he should have found a tactful way of nottaking communion."The Rev. Edward Foley, a liturgical expert at the CatholicTheological Union in Hyde Park, said there is room in the law fornon-Catholics to take communion."There is a place in the law which does address non-Catholicsfor a reason," he said. "That's the decision of the local bishop."Contributing: Bryan Smith